Montana § 87-1-622 - Forest Management Plan -- Sustainable Yield Study Required -- Definition

§ 87-1-622. Forest Management Plan -- Sustainable Yield Study Required -- Definition

Forest management plan -- sustainable yield study required -- definition. (1) The commission and the board shall adopt forest management plans for lands under their jurisdiction, based on an annual sustainable yield, to implement the provisions of 87-1-201 (10)(a)(iv). (2) The department, under the direction of the commission, shall, before July 1, 2012, commission a study by a qualified independent third party to determine, using scientific principles, the annual sustainable yield on forested department lands. The department shall direct the qualified independent third party to determine the annual sustainable yield pursuant to all state and federal laws. (3) The annual timber sale requirement for the timber sale program administered by the department to address fire mitigation, pine beetle infestation, and wildlife habitat enhancement may not exceed the annual sustainable yield. (4) The commission and the board shall review and redetermine the annual sustainable yield for lands under their jurisdiction at least once every 5 years. (5) Expenditures necessary to meet the requirements of this section are authorized to be made by the department pursuant to 87-1-601 . (6) For the purposes of this section, the term "annual sustainable yield" means the quantity of timber that can be harvested from forested department lands each year, taking into account the ability of forested lands to generate replacement tree growth and in accordance with: (a) the provisions of 87-1-201 (10)(a)(iv); (b) state and federal laws, including but not limited to the laws pertaining to wildlife, recreation, and maintenance of watersheds; and (c) water quality standards that protect fisheries and aquatic life and that are adopted under the provisions of Title 75, chapter 5.